I have a belief that the key to a fulfilling life is setting your hopes modestly, and I approached Grit and Valor – 1949 with such low expectations that I hadn’t even considered reviewing it for Firaxis. However, I’m pleased I did so, not because it was an exceptional game or a groundbreaking masterpiece, but because Grit and Valor – 1949 is like comfort food. It’s the kind of game that’s satisfying without being extraordinary; you can play a few rounds, enjoy the experience, and then move on with your day. Sometimes, that’s all one needs.
- Genre: Real-Time Strategy & Roguelite
- Developer: Milky Tea Studios
- Publisher: Megabit Publishing
- Release Date: 26th March, 2025
- Price: $15.99/ 15,99€/ £13.59
- Buy at: Steam
- Reviewed On: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X 3.70 GHz, 16GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 2080
Imagine this scenario: The Axis powers have developed mechanical warriors, causing the allied countries on European ground to crumble. As partisans, you and a handful of courageous individuals are the final beacon of hope for a liberated Europe. The resistance has successfully seized some of these Axis marvels of technology, intending to use them against their inventors. Your task, alongside a group of daring pilots, is to deploy an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) into New Germany’s soil, aiming to halt the oppressive mechanical onslaught of their dictator. This won’t be a walk in the park; you’ll face numerous setbacks, but with each attempt, you’ll learn and grow stronger, gaining access to new mechs, technology, and enhancements.
This game, titled “Grit and Valor – 1949”, is a Real-Time Strategy title with a roguelike twist that I find quite appealing due to its meta-progression system. My fascination lies in the consistent advancement it offers, which stimulates my mind in a satisfying manner. The game is essentially split into two main components: real-time tactical battles against Axis forces, where you deploy your mechs, accounting for about 90% of your playtime; and base management, responsible for around 10%, involving the acquisition of new mechs, their customization, pilot skill development, research, and more.
As you progress through missions, you amass various currencies that can be utilized in these areas. The system is similar to other roguelikes with meta-progression, but it’s streamlined and easy to grasp. If you have the necessary funds, unlocking new items or upgrades happens immediately, eliminating any wait time for their arrival or production. Obtaining three blueprints, for instance, allows you to introduce a new mech into your roster, equip it, and take it into your next endeavor.
I appreciate this straightforward approach as it values the player’s time. Once you’ve selected 3 mechs (along with your command vehicle), you’re all set to commence gameplay.
The game offers multiple campaign paths, with the first being in Britain and culminating in New Germany. At the end of each path, you’ll encounter a distinct boss. Each campaign also features its own distinct map layout. Regarding the maps, I’m unsure if they are randomly generated or fixed, but they seem to have minimal variations, making it easy to recognize previously played maps. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but over time, it can become repetitive, and I recall playing the same Scandinavian map in every campaign.
Upon stepping into the map, you’re given two primary tasks: first, withstand the enemy’s four consecutive attacks, and second, accomplish an optional mission whose details may change from delivering fuel from one point to another, protecting a particular structure, or destroying something. Completing these extra missions adds an element of unpredictability to the mission as they are usually spread across the map, requiring you to frequently move between locations, set up new defensive positions, and safeguard the mechs working on that task. In fact, it’s these secondary missions that largely determine the tempo of each map, pushing you to adjust your strategy based on what you need to accomplish. It’s worth noting that while you can win every mission without finishing these side goals, you’ll miss out on a significant amount of in-game currency. Furthermore, despite being a real-time strategy game, Grit and Valor – 1949 includes a pause feature, allowing slower players (such as myself) to make decisions and rearrange units without the pressure of managing multiple tasks simultaneously.
As I dive into this new gaming experience, pressing “Start Battle,” I’ve got to admit that while there are some intriguing strategic challenges, it doesn’t quite measure up to games like Into the Breach. The combat here revolves around a modified rock-paper-scissors concept, swapping out those basics with bullets, fire, and explosives. Each element does more damage to the one that follows, creating a circular pattern.
Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of these types of systems as they shift my strategic thinking from crafting unique strategies into a game of finding the right pieces to match. However, this monotony is somewhat alleviated by factors like cover and weapon distance. Every mech weapon in this game has a specific range it can fire at, allowing for some flexibility in positioning to avoid the strict unit matching that comes with these systems. Of course, adhering to the pattern will still yield more damage output and less received, but clever positioning can definitely tilt the odds in your favor.
In Grit and Valor – 1949, what sets it apart is its dynamic upgrade system: prior to each wave of enemies, a useful item drops somewhere on the map as a care package. Gathering it provides you with three random upgrades to select from, which can be common, uncommon, rare, or legendary (akin to Hearthstone). These upgrades can affect gameplay by offering flat stats, percentage-based boosts to damage, health, critical strike chance, and so forth. Additionally, they might increase attack range, add armor, apply status effects, and much more. This upgrade system is the heart of what makes Grit and Valor – 1949 compelling, as you start with basic mechs and never know if your team will turn out to be an overpowered force or a collection of broken machines. As you advance through the campaign, it’s up to you to make optimal use of the cards you receive (literally) and decide whether to focus on creating a monstrously powerful mech or aim for a balanced team composition where every mech is equally strong. If you enjoy deck-building games such as Balatro, Slay the Spire, and Fights in Tight Spaces, you’ll appreciate this game too.
In the game, your adversaries primarily use weapons similar to yours (since you’re operating stolen mechs), but they also rely on conventional forces such as tanks, foot soldiers, light vehicles, and air support. While they may not be particularly intelligent, it doesn’t matter much in this swarm-like game setting because their power comes from their sheer numbers rather than strategic acumen.
I’d rather keep the excitement about discovering new content alive without ruining the surprise, but let me assure you there are plenty of intriguing mechs to unlock. Each one offers unique gameplay experiences, which is a delightful aspect. However, I must confess that my main gripe lies in the customization system for these mechs. The components used to modify them aren’t particularly engaging, mostly serving as basic stat boosts rather than offering exciting or overpowered features.
For instance, I was hoping for options like doubling a mech’s weapon count but significantly reducing its speed, or equipping it with no weapons at all but allowing for the deployment of active abilities more frequently and without limits (yes, there are active abilities in this game, each pilot has one, and they include things like bombardments, mines, repairs, and various other types).
I appreciate the streamlined aesthetic that Grit and Valor adopted, which aligns perfectly with the game’s theme. Navigation is effortless, and all elements stand out clearly – from friendly mechs, to cover, interactive objects, rewards, enemies, and more. It’s a testament to visual minimalism at its finest. I’m also fond of the mech designs, which manage an amusing yet serious vibe by featuring exaggerated proportions alongside high-quality textures and detailed animations. The over-the-top design of the Evil Axis forces invading Europe is spot-on, reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons, with each villain bearing a resemblance to characters like Bison from Street Fighter. In summary, Grit & Valor boasts a sleek, minimalistic appearance. The user interface is equally intuitive and easy to grasp, with all options readily available on a single screen as expected for this type of game. The audio design and music are functional, though there’s nothing particularly noteworthy in either the good or bad aspects.
Final Score: 7/10
1949’s Grit and Valor could be seen as a solid 7/10 strategy game – not exceptional or groundbreaking, but certainly worth your time for several play sessions. It may lack the complexity found in other strategy games, yet it maintains an engaging quality that keeps you coming back. Moreover, its user-friendly nature allows it to run smoothly on various systems and offers plenty of replay value due to its roguelike aspects. This game is perfect if you’re seeking a strategy title to unwind with while enjoying a podcast or binge-watching videos. Although it might not seem like a ringing endorsement, after a long day at work, this game can be an excellent choice for relaxation and, truthfully, there are far worse options than Grit and Valor – 1949. If you’re in search of a relaxing real-time strategy (RTS) game to pass the time, Grit and Valor – 1949 is one of the top recommendations for 2025 and now – before I sign off, I’ll be diving back into it myself on my mission to free Europe.
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2025-03-26 19:43